Property Management in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL — Airbnb & Short-Term Rentals

Short-term rental and Airbnb management in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a small beach town between Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, and its character is low-rise. Rental stock is mostly older single-family homes and townhouses, duplexes and small apartment and condo buildings within a few blocks of the sand, plus some larger condo buildings along the ocean.

Property management in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea depends on the kind of building. The Town treats a single-family home or townhouse differently from a duplex or fourplex, and the difference decides whether a weekend booking is allowed at all. We sort that out before we write a single listing for Airbnb management.

Where guests come from

The beach is the draw, and the Town’s compact center lets guests walk from their rental to the water, the shops on Commercial Boulevard and the restaurants along A1A. Anglin’s Fishing Pier at the foot of Commercial Boulevard is the town’s landmark, and the reefs just offshore draw snorkelers and divers.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the closest major airport, and Port Everglades is a short drive south for cruise passengers. Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Galt Ocean Mile are just to the south, and Pompano Beach is just to the north.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea short-term rental rules

The Town’s rules are in Section 30-327 of the Town Code, and its definitions in §30-11 split rentals into two groups. A “vacation rental” is the rental of a single-family home or townhouse for no fewer than seven consecutive days. A “short term rental” is a duplex, a three- or four-unit building, or a small mixed-use building rented more than three times a year for less than 30 days.

That split matters. Section 30-327(d) says no single-family home or townhouse may be occupied as a vacation rental for fewer than seven consecutive days, and it states that this restriction does not apply to short term rentals. A fourplex unit can take a two-night stay; a house on the next street cannot.

Both types need a Town business tax receipt and a rental certificate, renewed every year, in the RS-4, RS-5, RD-10, RM-15, RM-16, RM-25 and RM-50 residential districts and the B-1 and B-1-A business districts. The Town inspects the dwelling before the first certificate and every year after. The application asks for proof of compliance with Florida’s tax and lodging laws and fire safety rules, a floor plan and site sketch with parking, the number of legal parking spaces and whether pets are allowed.

Occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom, plus two for each additional 200 square feet of interior living area, and never more than ten. The owner must name a rental agent who lives or works in the Town, answers the phone around the clock, can reach the property within three hours, and checks on it weekly. Each day of renting without a certificate is a separate violation.

The state’s DBPR license under §509.241 is required as well for units that meet the transient lodging test.

Taxes on Lauderdale-by-the-Sea vacation rentals

Stays of six months or less are taxed at Florida’s 6% rate (§212.03), plus Broward County’s 1% discretionary sales surtax (DR-15DSS) and Broward County’s 6% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT), which is paid to the county.

How Florida Hosts manages Lauderdale-by-the-Sea rentals

Florida Hosts handles the Town business tax receipt, the rental certificate application and the state license for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea owners. In Lauderdale-by-the-Sea we match the booking rules to the building type, keep the Town certificate and inspection current, serve as the rental agent, and answer guests 24/7, with our own cleaning and maintenance staff handling turnovers.

Our fee for short-term rental management and Airbnb management is 18–25% of booking revenue, quoted in writing. For homes where a seven-night minimum does not suit, we also manage mid-term furnished stays of 30 days or more and annual leases through licensed brokers. A free rental projection takes one business day.